Should I convert my walk in closet into an office?

August 30, 2021 6:35 PM

I just bought a condo which has a medium size walk in closet in the main bedroom. The bedroom is big enough for a wardrobe unit like the ones at IKEA. I’m considering buying one of those and using the walk-in closet as an office. Is there a reason I shouldn’t do that?

The condo is two bedrooms, one of which will be occupied by my child. I don’t work from home very often under normal times, but my job is the type that could pivot if cases go up here. And even in normal times, when I do work at home, I would like to be more comfortable. Additionally, given that the condo is smaller than where we currently live, I would like as much space to be available for my child and I don’t really want to have a printer and things like this hanging around in my bedroom or living room. I’m thinking of putting a desk and a bookshelf in the walk-in closet and then buying a wardrobe for the bedroom. I have told a few people of this plan will be all think it’s a terrible idea, but nobody can articulate why other than a generic ‘it is always nice to have a walk-in closet.’ So, is there a reason why I shouldn’t do it? Why does everyone think this is such a terrible idea?

posted by ficbot to Home & Garden (34 answers total)

Overall it sounds like a good idea to me, except that working for a long time in a room without a window might be a bit dismal.
posted by sacrifix at 6:44 PM on August 30, 2021 [8 favorites]

Your house, your rules. If it isn't what you imagined, you can always convert it back to a closet. My only advice is to be sure you have plenty of light.
posted by XtineHutch at 6:46 PM on August 30, 2021 [15 favorites]

Items missing might be egress, ventilation, power, and lighting. If you figure those out, why not?
posted by nickggully at 6:48 PM on August 30, 2021 [2 favorites]

I know many people who used a walk-in closet as a nursery when their children were born. The builder built it and called it a walk in closet because it sells better that way. To me, it is just a room with 4 walls and no windows. Do with it as you want. Put your clothes where you want. Why listen to the negative people out there with too many clothes who want to project on you what they would do with their clothes?
posted by AugustWest at 6:53 PM on August 30, 2021 [16 favorites]

This is totally a thing people do! A walk in closet is nice, but a dedicated workspace is nicer, especially if you want to be able to close the doors on all things work and let your child have safe access to your room. Plenty of blogs and Pinterest boards using the term “cloffice” for your perusal.
posted by assenav at 6:58 PM on August 30, 2021 [6 favorites]

Back when I lived in a condo, I turned a spare closet into a machine shop with a lathe and milling machine, so your plan seems perfectly reasonable. You may, as noted above, need a bit of extra ventilation and a full-spectrum lamp would probably be nice but I say go for it.

...one last note, you may want to protect your floor from the wear and tear created by a routinely-occupied office chair.
posted by aramaic at 7:08 PM on August 30, 2021 [8 favorites]

I've done this before and would do it again w/o hesitation. I think it's a great idea.
posted by 10ch at 7:20 PM on August 30, 2021 [2 favorites]

Only reason I can think of is if the IKEA wardrobe is a downgrade in terms of closet space. Also, they can be a little flimsy.
posted by supercres at 7:25 PM on August 30, 2021 [2 favorites]

Um, I did this. I ended up waking up, going straight to the computer, working, maaaybe ending up in the kitchen to grab food, and drinking water/bringing eventually 4-6 glasses back to my desk, eating at my desk, brushing my teeth, then going to bed. A lot. I normally drink a lot of water, but that decreased.

Since you have a child, you'd definitely get out of the bedroom more -- unless you have a live-in coparent who takes care of that kind of thing.

Also, if you do have a live-in partner, probably you need the closet space.

If not, it might be worth a try -- just make sure you have room to pull your chair back from the desk and not hit a wall too hard, and make sure the space won't be depressing if you spend too much time there.

Bonus storage idea: you can probably store some stuff overhead even if you do make it into a home office. Be more creative with shelving than Ikea or Container Store wants you to be: if you use actual wood shelving and brackets, you have more flexibility in a lot of ways.
posted by amtho at 7:39 PM on August 30, 2021 [1 favorite]

The other “concern” a generic person may have is that you definitely need a place to store clothes, but it doesn’t sound like you definitely need a home office.

I am very much pro having a door separating work and sleep. That being said, in my experience it was harder than I thought to not have access to sunlight during the day. However, if this is an issue for you, there may be workarounds.
posted by oceano at 7:58 PM on August 30, 2021

Another idea would be a Murphy bed. I slept on one at an Airbnb and was very impressed. A well-made one swings up and down very smoothly and opens up the whole space. The one with the built in side cabinets makes for a very elegant and efficient use of space.
posted by dum spiro spero at 8:35 PM on August 30, 2021 [1 favorite]

I did this in a townhouse I rented for a year, but I wouldn't do it again. Some problems I ran into:

1) The room and closet were on the second floor, so it got unbearable hot in the summer months, even with the a/c and nearby fans cranked.

2) The router was downstairs next to the tv and couldn't be moved, resulting in spotty WiFi. Going up and downstairs several times a day to tweak the router got old really fast.

3) Printers, especially laser printers, emit some really toxic fumes so I had to keep the printer in the bedroom and use it with a very long USB cable (spotty WiFi meant printing wirelessly wasn't reliable either). It was also nearly impossible to keep that room well-ventilated, especially in the summer, so those VOCs lingered much longer indoors than if I would've had the printer in a room with windows and better ventilation.

4) Knowing that my office was right there contributed to my chronic insomnia because when I couldn't sleep, I would often just pop out of bed to work or play games on my computer.

5) No matter how snazzy I made the decor, it felt like a dungeon; being surrounded by walls and no windows felt very isolating.

6) Did I mention it was terribly hot? It wasn't worth the higher electricity bills.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 9:23 PM on August 30, 2021 [6 favorites]

Count me among those who would be viscerally opposed to this, *FOR MYSELF*... I think the combination of claustrophobia, lack of external stimuli, lack of natural light, and lack of separation between my bed and work would lead me to react negatively if a friend asked me what I thought about this as an idea.

That said, you are not me... so what's the harm in trying at least? Worst case scenario, you find another little corner of the house to set up shop, and you now have a surplus Ikea wardrobe in addition to a W.I.C to use for some other purpose... win-win-win :)
posted by wats at 9:34 PM on August 30, 2021

Another idea: put a self-contained secretary desk in the bedroom.
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:35 PM on August 30, 2021 [9 favorites]

I think the lack of windows would be a problem for me, but there's no reason that you shouldn't at least experiment with it. You could try and get some IKEA drawer/shelving units that would fit into the closet in case you ultimately decide that you do want to use it as closet.
posted by mr_roboto at 9:47 PM on August 30, 2021 [1 favorite]

I’d check your ventilation, and I would search around for a secondhand wood wardrobe vs. disposable IKEA — but it’s a good idea! Go for it! Look into those over-the-door shoe storage things and maybe some under-bed totes for extra storage. Put in a lot of quality lighting. No harm in trying it out!
posted by Ostara at 9:47 PM on August 30, 2021

Coming at this from another perspective: I have used Ikea wardrobes in the past, and I've liked them quite a bit for extra space. There are a lot of configuration options; I had one with two rows of hangers for shirts, and a pullout drawer for shoes. They're also cheap enough that trying one out isn't likely to break the bank.

Another idea would be a Murphy bed. I slept on one at an Airbnb and was very impressed. A well-made one swings up and down very smoothly and opens up the whole space. The one with the built in side cabinets makes for a very elegant and efficient use of space.

I posted an answer about murphy beds a few months ago; we have a murphy bed in our guest room/office/kids' play room and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It's extremely easy to put up and down. My parents just stayed on it last weekend, and they are super picky about sleeping, and they loved it too. And our BredaBed is exactly the same depth as the Ikea PAX storage cabinets that we had before it, so it just looks like a solid wall, with plenty of storage. Looks great in a videocall background too.
posted by kdar at 9:49 PM on August 30, 2021 [5 favorites]

Well I can’t say anything about whether it’s nice to work in a space with no windows, I can’t say it would bother me- but I live in Europe and walk in closets are unusual and most people use wardrobes in their rooms and they aren’t flimsy and you can get very nice ones. Ours almost looks like a built in.
posted by pairofshades at 10:07 PM on August 30, 2021 [3 favorites]

You could see if you can pick up a second hand clothes rail, and then test the idea out for a while before you invest in a big wardrobe.
posted by quacks like a duck at 1:27 AM on August 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

We turned a box room with no windows into a study in our previous flat and... Honestly it was a bit grim. I hated being in there with screens and no natural light. I also would not do it again.

If you can set it up cheaply and try it out though, give it a shot.
posted by stillnocturnal at 2:15 AM on August 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

I think this very much depends on just how big or small this closet is. Windowless room is one thing, claustrophobic windowless room that is hot and stuffy with only minimal light is another.

Building on the suggestion to consider murphy beds and self contained desks though. I used to live in an apartment where the landlord had taken a slightly set back corner of the living room and basically built a desk (by attaching a kitchen worktop of all things) and installing shelves above that. There was plenty of space for a desk chair, a full sized monitor, printer and assorted office stuff. And it was all hidden by some folding doors. You’d never have known there was a fully functional office behind the doors.

You could probably get something like that rigged up for moderate cost. When not in use it would be the same footprint as your average IKEA closet. When in use you’d need the depth of the doors and space to pull out the chair and sit on it. But it avoids all the potential problems with ventilation, lack of daylight etc.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:04 AM on August 31, 2021 [3 favorites]

Maybe you could turn the WiR into a sleeping / bed nook if you extend door width to the width of the robe walls. If it’s big enough - say 1500mm x 2100? If it’s not deep enough to get 2100mm of a QS bed you could put your wardrobes along the walls around the entry to the nook to add 600mm length. Then make your bedroom space a bit more of an open office, loungy area.
posted by honey-barbara at 4:55 AM on August 31, 2021

Remember that the computer (and/or printer) will add heat to the room - our 11 x 12 guest room office is routinely warmer than our other bedrooms by a noticeable amount. Many people forget this when setting up a home office; in our case there's a ceiling fan which helps, but we also ended up lowering the thermostat temperature a couple of degrees to compensate.
posted by TimHare at 5:09 AM on August 31, 2021 [3 favorites]

My work at home needs are simple, just a small desk with laptop & 2 monitors, no printer. It's in front of a window, and I really enjoy the view(trees, squirrels) and sunshine. I would be unhappy for more than a short time in a windowless room. But you can easily try it. Or get something self-contained instead of a wardrobe so it would be okay in the bedroom.
posted by theora55 at 5:56 AM on August 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

My biggest "no" to this is the lack of airflow and sunlight - however, in a condo, you might not be able to work near sunlight anyhow, and with a decent fan can keep up airflow. Personally, I need as much natural light as I can get and being stuck in a literal closet all day would slowly kill me. But every person is different.

We have a walk in closet and opted to keep it as a closet (much more storage) and instead set up small desk/tables that would look good as furniture when not in use.

My spouse works in our bedroom, by the window for fresh air and sunlight. We found a simple desk with drawer that matched our bedroom set and, if he ever goes back to work in person, we will convert to a vanity.

I work in our guest bedroom with a similar setup but have a full window. I'm going back to work on a hybrid model (sometime in... early 2022 or so?) at which time I'll probably have 1 less monitor and fewer cords, so will be able to make the table more guest-friendly as it's the only real table in that bedroom.
posted by DoubleLune at 6:20 AM on August 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

In my last building, there were two walk-in closets in each apartment, and then an additional three closets scattered throughout. (It had SO MUCH CLOSET SPACE people...) The family who lived one floor below me turned one of the walk-ins into a playroom for their kids. Also, I've seen a crap-ton of home-improvement bloggers routinely suggest turning a closet into a home office; although, in most cases they're referring to a reach-in closet, where you have the desk taking up all the floor space. But nothing they say suggests it wouldn't work with a walk-in as well.

So I'm on team "this is totally a thing and it's your house and your rules." Others here have made some good points about the unique challenges, but there are some which are practical concerns you could take care of (heat generated by the computer, etc.) and some which are more aesthetic (lack of a window) which I'm assuming you've already thought about. I mean, I'd prefer a window in my workplace too, but even people who work office jobs don't always get that and a lot of people cope just fine without.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:27 AM on August 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

I'd say the likely success of this depends on the dimensions, and whether you could work with the door open, or even remove the door altogether.

These days I work from home, but for years I worked in a cubicle office, with my desk in the middle of a floor of 100 cubicles. A walk to the kitchen for a coffee wouldn't take me anywhere near a window. On a busy day, I wouldn't see daylight between arriving in the office and leaving for home - and in the winter, it'd be dark both times anyway. The meeting rooms were around the perimeter and when there was a meeting, there'd be almost a scrummage to get the seats that faced the outside world. I got used to it, but it wasn't an ideal environment to work in. But even when they took down a lot of the partitions and I sat closer to a window, it was still head down, get on with the work, not enough time to stare out of the window. Millions of people around the world worked like that until the pandemic. I'm not saying it's healthy, but it's how it was for loads of us.

So I'm not sure I'd find working in a converted closet unbearable, particularly if I could have the radio on and there was sufficient ventilation. At least working from home you can take a break from being indoors and get outside for a while.
posted by essexjan at 6:43 AM on August 31, 2021 [3 favorites]

There won’t be any ventilation so keep the closet door open when in there. Otherwise, it will just depend on how much you use the space and how you react to lack of size and natural light. It sounds worth a try to me.
posted by meinvt at 7:01 AM on August 31, 2021

I think it's a great idea. If possible, try it out for a while, maybe with a laptop and small table.
posted by wryly at 7:17 AM on August 31, 2021

It really comes down to:

a) Room temperature
b) Can you work in a room with no windows
c) Can you work in a room with no fresh air

Personally I would attempt this with a desk facing the closet door so you can look out into the bedroom, hopefully a window, and see daylight.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:08 AM on August 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

Oh - for my closet-turned-office space, we removed the doors from the closet.
posted by amtho at 8:43 AM on August 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

I've always joked that my office at work was actually a big closet so the idea of working in a space without any windows just seems normal to me. I assume you'd be able to keep the closet door open and just close your bedroom door. I'd buy a small fan so I could get air circulating. Take frequent breaks if you need to. Make sure your light is good.
posted by Constance Mirabella at 1:45 PM on August 31, 2021

I’m with Constance Mirabella—I used to work in a (shared!) windowless office that was not bigger than a decent walk-in closet. With only standard office furniture and overhead fluorescents it was kind of bleak, but with softer lamplight, cushy furniture, and some decoration it was actually comfortable. If I were doing a similar space at home, I’d be very happy going all in on coziness and making it truly den-like. (Then again, I am comforted by small spaces and ymmv; I was a kid who hid inside the cupboards to read by flashlight, so this was really only an extension on a theme.)

I second getting a desk fan for airflow: I have this fan (in green) on my desk and find it both adorable and surprisingly powerful for how little it is. And an insight I gleaned from small-space living during quarantine is to get seats with as many perspectives on a space as possible. So sure you’ll need a desk set-up, but can you also fit some cushions/a small beanbag to sit on the floor occasionally? Or one of those high director’s chairs, so you could face another direction? It was shocking to me to learn how big a difference it could make in my day to just occasionally switch chairs and change up which wall decorations I was facing.
posted by CtrlAltDelete at 3:14 PM on August 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

I have told a few people of this plan will be all think it’s a terrible idea, but nobody can articulate why other than a generic ‘it is always nice to have a walk-in closet.’

I have absolutely known people who have converted walk-in closets to cozy little offices; if that's a thing that works for your brain, go for it.

Certain unusual uses/configurations of living space seem to trigger these Very Strong Feelings of Wrongness in people. I have no idea why. It definitely taps into something beyond personal opinions and gets irrational. Standard conversation template:

Friend: Oh noooo, I wouldn't like that at all.
Resident of home with idea: Okay, but I think that I actually would and this is why.
Friend: BUT IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA.
Resident: What's the problem?
Friend: [Irrelevant resale value concerns and/or imaginary rules]
Resident: Nah, none of that is an issue.
Friend: IT'S A BAD IDEA, I'M WARNING YOU.
Resident: To each their own? Like, I wouldn't choose to install a [thing in their house] even though you love yours.
Friend: But this is weird and unpleasant!
Resident: You literally will not be affected. Sheesh, nevermind.
posted by desuetude at 3:20 PM on August 31, 2021 [5 favorites]